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Hello everyone! It's me, Russell.Due to my disability, I became the target of bullying. I didn't like myself very much back then. One day, my mother said something that would change my life forever."All you need is a little faith, hope & perseverance." Those were my mother's exact words. That's when, I started to believe in myself and train really hard. Now, I'm a world class mixed martial artist. Pretty cool, huh?

It starts at home. It is imperative that we teach our children to love one another. A daily reminder about the importance of respect and love for peers is very important. Furthermore, the same amount of empathize placed on good grades should be placed on love and respect for peers. Leading by example is huge. If you're a snobby, disrespectful person chances are your kid will become just like you. Bullying is serious business. Kids are committing suicideleft, right and center at the hands of their peers. As the parent of a bully, make a conscious effort to teach your child to love their peers. Make sure. Whatever you do, don't look the other way. Worst case scenario your child bullies someone to death. The story makes front page news. Then comes the threats, name calling and insults which drive you and your family out of town. All of this because you the parent refused to put in the work and teach your kid the importance of love and respect for peers.

Tell the school officials what's going on right away.Follow up with the principal to ensure something's been done about the situation. As well, follow up with your child to ensure the bullying has ended. If the bullying continues, remove your child from the school then contact your local news station and expose the school. Schools have a responsibility to protect children. Should you decide to send your child to another educational facility, make sure to research the school and find out what kind of anti-bullying practices they have in place. It wouldn't hurt to run a quick search before enrolling your child into school. Keep in mind that home and online schooling are options too. Note:If you live in the state of Texas"David's Law" provides pro bono legal advocacy for targets of bullying and their families.

Be a leader not a follower. Do the right thing and stand up for your peers because when other kids see you acting bravely it will rub off on them. Courage and bravery is respected by peers who will be more likely to do the same.

You need to tell your parents right away.DO NOT DELAY. Alternatively, you may expose your bully on this website. Nobody has the right to mistreat you. You are special. You are important. You are my personal friend. Do me this favor little cobra. Think about what you would like to be in life, then go for it. Do not let anyone or anything steal your dreams. If I beat the odds, so can you.

Deep down inside, you're a good kid. Channel your anger and strength in a positive way. Hit the bag. Talk to someone. Do sports. Get a hobby. Anything positive will work. Bullying destroys lives. We can not take out our frustrations on one another, no ifs ands or buts. Be like me. Become a part of the solution, not the problem. Let's make a pact. As of today, no more bullying. Raise your right hand and repeat Cobraman Pledge to Peer out loud. Click on any one of photos to begin. Alternatively, you may click the arrow on the audio player below to say the pledge with me (Russell) if you prefer.

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TextAloud: IVONA Joey22 (Created: 4/26/2016 7:43:59 AM)

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* I'm super proud of everyone who took the pledge and vow to stick to it. Good job! Take the bullying quiz and educate yourselves *

CLICK THE PIC TO ACCESS THE BULLYING QUIZ

BULLYING STATISTICS

1.) According to statistics reported by ABC News, nearly 30 percent
of students are either bullies or victims of bullying, and 160,000 kids
stay home from school every day because of fear of bullying.

2.) Between 4–12 per cent of boys and girls in grades 6 through 10 report having been bullied once a week or more.

3.) For boys, bullying behavior peaks in grade nine at 47 per cent, while it peaks for girls in grades six, eight and nine at 37 percent.

4.) Over 80 percent of the time, bullying happens with peers around—and 57 percent of the time, bullying stops within 10 seconds when a bystander steps in.

5.) Boys are more likely to experience direct forms of bullying
(physical aggression) while girls experience more indirect forms of
bullying including cyberbullying.

6.) Bullying occurs in school playgrounds every seven minutes and once every 25 minutes in the classroom. Less than 10 percent of bullied children tell someone [NATIONAL SCHOOL CLIMATE CENTER]

TRENDS IN BULLYING & HARASSMENT

1.) Since 2002, fighting behavior has increased, especially in grades six to eight. As many as 18 percent of boys and 8 percent of girls report having been in four or more fights in the past year.

STATISTICS ON BULLYING & SUICIDE

1.) Suicide is the third leading cause of death among young people, resulting in about 4,400 deaths per year, according to the CDC. For every suicide among young people, there are at least 100 suicide attempts. Over 14 percent of high school students have considered suicide, and almost 7 percent have attempted it.

2.) Bully victims are between 2 to 9 times more likely to consider suicide than non-victims, according to studies by Yale University.

3.) A study in Britain found that at least half of suicides among young people are related to bullying.

4.) 10 to 14 year old girls may be at even higher risk for suicide, according to the study above.

5.) Fox Cities LIFE Study and select priorities, found statistics on youth suicide and bullying to be sobering. 12 percent of high-schoolers have attempted suicide.

ANTI-BULLYING DAYS TO REMEMBER

1.) Bullying Awareness Week - Celebrated Every November.

2.) International Day Of Pink - Celebrated Every April.

3.) Pink Day - Celebrated Every February.

4.) Stand Up Against Bullying Day - Celebrated 2nd Thursday in September (Northern Ontario)

5.) World Bullying Prevention Day (Blue Shirt Day) - First Monday in October

6.) National Bullying Month in America - October

Find out how you canhelpor jump into the action,registerand start blogging. You'd be surprised in the power of words.